General Homicide 2002: The Abduction
by ShastenRothe
Summary: A continuation of General Homicide 2002.**PLEASE READ AND REVIEW**
1. Screwing Up Big Time

" Damn you Sam!" Ed cursed aloud as he passed the German woman. He fully  
  
knew that Sam had sent him that distraction. It was starting to seem as if Sam wanted his  
  
son to die. Taking a sharp right he came to Rafe's room. Jerking open the door, he saw  
  
that it was empty. An envelope sat on a table. Picking it up, Ed saw that it was addressed  
  
to Alison.  
  
' God, don't let this be what I think it is," he muttered to himself. Turning around,  
  
he saw that the bathroom door was locked.  
  
" Rafe Kovich, you better let me in right now before I break the door down! I'm  
  
serious." There was no answer.  
  
" Son, please don't do this. I love you. Please don't. Please. You know I don't  
  
plead like this very often. Do it for me son." A click startled Ed. The door opened and  
  
Rafe rolled out. Sticking out his hand, he handed Ed the razor blade then broke into tears.  
  
" I love you Dad."  
  
'Toby this is the fifth time I've called you. Where are you? It's Kayla. You better  
  
not be passed out in your living room again. If you get this voice mail, call me back. I  
  
don't care what time.'  
  
'Toby you're really starting to scare me. This is the twelfth time I've called your  
  
cell phone and you haven't answered. What is going on with you? You always answer  
  
your cell phone no matter what time of day. Please be okay.'  
  
'Toby, I've counted. This is time fifteen and it's almost two A.M. Why aren't you  
  
picking up?'  
  
'Toby this is number seventeen. I'm coming to look for you. Kayla.'  
  
The sixth floor was basically deserted. Ian was half asleep on the counter. He had  
  
sent Eve home a while ago to get some rest. Because of Toby's absence, he wasn't due to  
  
get off until five. Footsteps caused him to look up. Standing in front of him was a woman  
  
in her earlier thirties.  
  
" Can I help you?" Ian asked as he let out a huge yawn.  
  
" I'm looking for Toby Mayer."  
  
" Did you say Toby?"  
  
" Yeah. I'm his friend Kayla. Have you seen him?"  
  
" No, he went M.I.A. about three this afternoon and we haven't heard from him  
  
since. Why?"  
  
" I'm worried about him. I called him about five or so and he seemed extremely  
  
off to me. It may just be because the anniversary of his brother's death is today, but he  
  
seemed strange. I called him seventeen times and got his voice mail every single time.  
  
There has to be something seriously wrong if he isn't answering his cell phone."  
  
" Did you try calling him at home?" suggested Ian.  
  
" No, but I doubt he'll be there," Kayla said as she dialed Toby apartment  
  
number. After five rings, the machine picked up.  
  
" Hey this is Toby. Has anyone ever asked you if your fridge was running? Well  
  
someone asked me and I'm currently running down the street, chasing after it. Leave a  
  
message at the beep and I'll call you back once I lasso it." Kayla hung up.  
  
" He isn't there."  
  
" Where do you think he would be?"  
  
" He said something about going to that new club Rampage."  
  
" How late are they open?" " Probably four or so."  
  
" What do you say we go check it out?"  
  
" Really?"  
  
" Yeah. I'm concerned," Ian said as he stashed his lab coat under the counter.  
  
Let's go."  
  
An unbelievable pain ripped through Toby's skull as he began to regain  
  
consciousness. Slowly he opened his eyes only to be greeted with minimal light. Where  
  
was he? Toby tried to sit up, but nearly passed out from the pain. He attempted to raise  
  
his hand so he could find out whether or not he was bleeding, but both were hand cuffed  
  
to a poll. Wherever he was, he surely had screwed up this time. 


	2. Insomnia

During the past few days, Jack had been stricken with an unbelievable case of  
  
insomnia. Every night he was wide-awake, unable to sleep. Tonight was no different.  
  
Here it was 4 A.M. and he was watching a useless rerun of I Love Lucy where Lucy and  
  
Ethel started working at a winery. How he had gotten addicted to the show, he didn't  
  
know. Ever since Chris's death, Jack's memories had all rushed together. Nothing made  
  
sense anymore. All he did was lay around, watching T.V. The bike shop was out of  
  
question. Jack could barely concentrate long enough to tie his shoes let alone work on a  
  
bike. There was no way he could go on like this much longer.  
  
" All right, turn here," commanded Kayla as Ian pulled off a side street. At four  
  
thirty the club's parking lot was still packed full of cars. He started to circle around,  
  
looking for a parking space, when Kayla suddenly stopped him.  
  
" That's Toby's Explorer." Pulling into a nearby spot, the two jumped out and ran  
  
over to the car.  
  
" Well at least we know he was here at one point," said Kayla.  
  
" The question is whether or not he's still here," replied Ian.  
  
" Should we check with the bouncer to see if he remembers Toby?" asked Kayla.  
  
" It couldn't hurt," Ian pointed out as Kayla walked up to the bouncer.  
  
" Hey buddy, could you do me a favor?"  
  
" Dunno. It depends on what kind."  
  
" I need you to tell me if you've seen this guy," Kayla demanded as she produced  
  
a picture of Toby.  
  
" Maybe."  
  
" Would my good old friend General Grant help you out?" Ian asked as he  
  
produced a fifty.  
  
" Yeah, I saw him earlier, probably about seven. You might want to ask Remy  
  
about him. The two of them were dancing together."  
  
" What does Remy look like?"  
  
" Tall, long red hair. She's got on black leather pants and a gray snakeskin shirt.  
  
Not too hard to miss," commented the bouncer as Ian handed him twenty dollars and  
  
stepped inside.  
  
" Do you see her?" he shouted, over the noise.  
  
" No. Hold up. There she is."  
  
" Where?"  
  
" By the bar."  
  
" Let's go," instructed Ian as he led the way over to Remy who was sipping a  
  
mixed drink at the bar.  
  
" Are you Remy Wilder?"  
  
" Yeah, who's asking?"  
  
" I am. The bouncer at the door said he saw you and my friend together earlier."  
  
" I was with a lot of people. It's a dance club," replied Remy.  
  
" Does the name Toby ring a bell?"  
  
" Oh, Toby. Yeah."  
  
" So you saw him?"  
  
" Yeah, we danced together until someone called him. He had to go take it outside  
  
I'm guessing because of the reception."  
  
" Which door did he use?"  
  
" The furthest one on the left."  
  
" Let's go," shouted Kayla, leading the way. Together they heaved open the heavy  
  
metal door that Remy had pointed to. It opened into a deserted, gravel covered alleyway.  
  
" I don't see anything," Kayla said in a disappointed voice.  
  
" Hold on a minute. Don't move," ordered Ian.  
  
" What do you see?"  
  
" What does Toby's cell phone look like?"  
  
" It's a silver Sprint.."Ian cringed as he picked up the phone that perfectly  
  
matched Kayla's description. Looking at the missed call log, he noticed that there were  
  
seventeen unanswered calls, all from Kayla.  
  
" Did you find his phone?" she asked. And that's when he saw it. The trail. It  
  
started approximately where he found the cell phone and stopped at the edge of the  
  
gravel.  
  
" Kayla, I think he's gone. I think someone took him."  
  
" What do you mean by took?"  
  
" Someone kidnapped him. From the looks of it, I think they knocked him  
  
unconscious and dragged him out to a waiting car."  
  
" Do you think he'll be okay?"  
  
" Just pray to god that he has his insulin and that whoever has him has enough  
  
sense to give it to him." 


	3. Pleading

Immediately Toby awoke as he heard footsteps approaching him. Who was it?  
  
What time was it? Where was he? His arms were going numb. Why couldn't he move  
  
them? If only he could get them loose. Straining against the metal that was restraining  
  
him, Toby tried his best to break free. Through the numbness, an unbelievable pain shot  
  
through out his arms. Letting his arms fall slack against the cool metal poll, Toby felt the  
  
drops of blood flowing from the cuffs.  
  
" Hello Toby." Where was the voice coming from? Toby jerked his head up. In  
  
front of him stood a figure, illuminated by the darkness.  
  
" Who's there?"  
  
" I'm shocked that you don't recognize my voice."  
  
" What time is it?"  
  
" Close to 6 A.M."  
  
" I need something to eat."  
  
" Ah, I'm sure you're starting to feel the effects of the insulin deprivation."  
  
" Please?"  
  
" Why should I keep you alive?"  
  
" Please?"  
  
Ian groaned as he heard the knocking on the door. He and Kayla had been out  
  
until five thirty and he had barely been asleep an hour. Deciding that he might as well  
  
give up on sleeping, he got up and walked to the door. Opening it up, Ian discovered a  
  
tall manila envelope sitting against the wall. Taking it inside, he sat down at the counter  
  
and opened it.  
  
So, I'm sure by now you've noticed Toby Mayer is missing. Perhaps you found his cell  
  
phone outside of Rampage. Did you think to check his car? No. Maybe if you did  
  
you would know that he has no insulin whatsoever with him. Do you know what  
  
happens to people when they are deprived of insulin for lengthy periods of time?  
  
Slowly they begin to get sick, drifting into unconsciousness. Eventually they go into  
  
complete insulin shock and go into a diabetic coma. Why am I telling you this? You  
  
should know the effects.  
  
Toby is indeed missing. Where is he you ask? Well it's your job to find out! You  
  
wouldn't want anything to happen to your friends or Toby, would you?  
  
The rules are simple. Find Toby. For every day that you are not successful in  
  
finding him, a murder will occur. Who will it be? Tsk. Tsk. I don't know.  
  
All I know is that if you ever want to see Toby alive, you will follow my orders.  
  
A package will be arriving at 10:30 A.M. Be home to receive it.  
  
G2K  
  
Ian felt his hands shaking as he put down the letter. Toby didn't have any insulin  
  
with him. If he didn't hurry, someone would be dead. Glancing at the clock, he saw that it  
  
was six fifteen. He had almost four hours before he had to be home to get the package.  
  
Ian was scared of what would happen to Toby if he weren't there on time. Throwing on a  
  
sweatshirt, Ian quickly scrawled a note to a sleeping Eve, telling her where he would be,  
  
and then headed for the police station.  
  
Sunlight began to slowly creep into Toby's room through a small window by the  
  
ceiling. He had been in a dazed stupor, somewhere between being conscious and  
  
unconscious. His head was aching; a particularly vicious pain was forming in his temples.  
  
His palms were becoming extremely sweaty. They had to give him something to eat or  
  
his condition would go downhill. Toby didn't want to think to far into the future; he knew  
  
what would happen if they left him with no medication. Once again, he heard footsteps  
  
approaching. Maybe someone was bringing him food.  
  
" Toby. You're looking kind of pale. Are you feeling okay?"  
  
" Max? What are? What time is it?"  
  
" About seven." Seven A.M. Concentrating as hard as possible, Toby began  
  
calculating how long he had been without insulin. He took it four times a day usually at 8  
  
A.M., 2 P.M., 8 P.M., and 2 A.M. If he had been held captive since about eight p.m., he  
  
was going for missing his third dose.  
  
" I need something sugary."  
  
" Ah, feeling the effects of low blood sugar are we?"  
  
" I've missed three doses. Please!"  
  
" Tell you what. It just so happens that I have a packet of sugar in my pocket.  
  
What a coincidence! I'll let you have it for a small price."  
  
" What? I'll do anything!"  
  
" Anything? Would you like to play a game for your sugar packet?"  
  
" Whatever it takes."  
  
" Want to know what we're playing? It's a little game I like to call 'One Minute  
  
In Hell.' Does that sound fun to you?" Toby cringed as he heard the name of Max's  
  
game. It didn't sound pleasant, but he had to do it. He had to get the sugar.  
  
" Ready to begin?" Toby braced himself as Max came towards him. He could feel  
  
his face erupt in a fiery surge as Max slugged him. The second blow came to his head.  
  
Toby gasped in pain as one of Max's rings penetrated his skin, causing blood to flow. More punches were delivered, mostly to his chest and stomach. It continued until Max  
  
announced that the minute was up. Toby was aching twice as bad as before. There was a  
  
large bruise on his face, a cut on his forehead, and he was sure there were a few bruised,  
  
if not cracked ribs, but it was all worth it in a sense. Max dumped the sugar packet into  
  
Toby's mouth. It was one of the best things he had ever tasted in his life. 


	4. Misfourtunes

" Excuse me Miss. I need to see the Commissioner."  
  
" He's busy right now."  
  
" It's an emergency."  
  
" Everything is an emergency these days. Just take a seat."  
  
" Look, I know you've probably not had your morning coffee ration, but you need  
  
to listen to me. All right?"  
  
" Sir, there is no need to get agitated."  
  
" Agitated? This isn't agitated. All I'm asking is that you take my name and tell  
  
him that I'm here. Can you do that?"  
  
" Sure, why not? Name?"  
  
" Ian Thornhart."  
  
" All right. I'll give that to him as soon as possible," said the secretary in a false tone.  
  
Half an hour later Mac walked out of his office.  
  
" Mac."  
  
" Ian, what are you doing here?"  
  
" Toby Mayer is missing."  
  
" You mean. oh crap. This isn't good."  
  
" It gets better. You might want to read this," Ian said as he handed over the letter.  
  
Mac's eyes slowly scanned the paper then looked up.  
  
" I thought it was getting a little too quiet. No wonder. The guy was saving up for  
  
this."  
  
" I'm worried about all of this. Seems to me the guy gets a kick out of other  
  
people's misfortunes," replied Ian.  
" How do you figure?"  
  
" It seems like he's playing off of Toby being diabetic."  
  
" Speaking of Toby being diabetic, how long can he survive with no medicine?"  
  
" It depends on his specifics, but probably no longer than three days."  
  
" What would some of the results be, day by day so we know what we're working  
  
with?"  
  
" He probably disappeared around eight last night, marking eight P.M. tonight as  
  
the first twenty four hour cycle that he hasn't had any medication. By tonight he'll be in a  
  
great deal of pain and losing consciousness as each minute ticks away. Close to this time  
  
tomorrow, he'll be completely unconscious, chances are in full insulin shock. When he  
  
reaches that stage, it's only a matter of time before he's in a complete diabetic coma. If  
  
we find him before the third day, he has a slim chance of survival. If we do find him in  
  
the two days and he survives, there could be a substantial amount of damage done to his  
  
kidneys and the rest of his system. It all depends."  
  
" So basically, the quicker we find him, the better? Correct?"  
  
" Yeah. Hopefully we find him soon. Like the letter said, every day Toby's still  
  
out there is someone's last."  
  
" Not if I can help it. We'll have extra patrollers today."  
  
" All right. I best be getting home before Eve wonders where I am."  
  
" I'll be over at ten thirty when you receive the package."  
  
" See you there," Ian said as he walked outside. Looking at his watch, he held  
  
back a yawn. It was barely eight A.M. Toby had been gone for twelve hours. Giving into  
  
his lethargic body's demands, Ian turned to the left and walked towards the Recovery  
  
Room in search of a decent cup of coffee.  
  
Rafe wasn't sure what to feel when he woke up that morning. He knew what Ed  
  
had stopped him from doing the night before. The thing was, he wasn't sure whether or  
  
not to be happy. A loud snore caused Rafe to turn his head. His father was asleep beside  
  
his bed on what looked to be a very uncomfortable chair. Taking a spare pillow from his  
  
bed, Rafe hurled it across the room.  
  
" Did anyone ever tell you that you snore?" he said grumpily.  
  
" Has anyone ever told you that you could be a bit more cheerful?" challenged Ed  
  
as he sat up.  
  
" Once or twice," Rafe shot back as Ed pulled back the curtains.  
  
" Rise and shine. You've got a long day ahead of you!"  
  
" Long day? I was planning on spending it in bed."  
  
" That won't be happening. Now the first task of the day is that you're going to  
  
get off your sorry ass and take a shower."  
  
" But I don't know how."  
  
" You don't know how to take a shower? How have you stayed so fresh smelling  
  
this long?" challenged Ed.  
  
" You know what I mean. I don't know how with. Without my legs. Could you  
  
maybe?"  
  
" Look son, I'm not going to be here forever. Sooner or later you're going to have  
  
to learn how to function by yourself with no help. Sure you can rely on others, but do you  
  
want to be a leech for the rest of your life? Do you want Alison to have to shower you  
  
everyday and dress you?"  
  
" Actually, I kind of like that shower part."  
  
" Well at least I can see some of your humor. Now up and at em.'!" 


	5. Angel

Ed sat on a chair propped up against the bathroom door. It had been an hour since  
  
Rafe had gone in. Just to make sure he had enough time without escaping, Ed was  
  
guarding the door for safe keeping.  
  
'Knock knock'  
  
" Come in," shouted Ed as he turned the page of the newspaper he was reading.  
  
The door opened as Kevin stepped in.  
  
" Ah Mr. Grant. Back for another visit?"  
  
" Why yes sir, I am."  
  
" Is Rafe around? I wanted to talk to him."  
  
" Oh he's a littler busy right now," replied Ed as his eyes shifted to the bathroom  
  
door.  
  
" Are you blocking the entrance so he can't get out? Did you lock him in there?"  
  
" My son needs to learn how to do things for himself."  
  
" Yes, but force."  
  
" Look. He got himself out of bed for the first time today with no help."  
  
" That's great progress, but exactly is he locked in the bathroom?"  
  
" He's learning how to shower himself and get dressed," explained Ed.  
  
" How long has he been in there?" Glancing at his watch, Ed answered,  
  
" About an hour and fifteen minutes." As Ed finished speaking a pound sounded  
  
on the door.  
  
" Ed god damn it. I'm done. Move the chair from in front of the door and let me  
  
out!" shouted Rafe. Ed stood up and picked up his hard plastic chair. Rafe emerged, fully  
  
dressed, with wet hair. Ed was happy to see the glittering chain hanging from his neck.  
  
" I did it," he said with deep satisfaction and a huge grin.  
  
" Good for you. Now if you would excuse us Kevin, my son and I are going to  
  
breakfast together and we can't be late as we're expecting a guest."  
  
" Nice seeing you two. I'll try to find you later Rafe when you aren't so busy."  
  
" Yeah, sure Kevin," muttered Rafe as the door closed.  
  
" Does he drive you as nuts as he does me?" asked Ed as they headed down the  
  
hallway.  
  
" He's a nice man and everything, but he does get on my nerves every once in  
  
awhile, especially when he's trying to be friendly."  
  
" I never really liked shrinks much."  
  
" So Dad, who exactly is this guest we're meeting for breakfast? And speaking of  
  
breakfast, where are we going?"  
  
" Across the street. I wasn't sure how much you've mastered in the art of getting  
  
in and out of cars."  
  
" Thanks for thinking of me," Rafe said as he wheeled across the crosswalk. As  
  
he approached the restaurant he could clearly see whom the guest was that Ed had  
  
invited.  
  
" Angel."  
  
Shivers ran up and down Alison's spine as she heard Rafe utter his pet name for  
  
her. It had been two weeks since she had seen her husband, this being the first time that  
  
she had actually seen him up and about.  
  
" Rafe!" she squealed as she bent down to hug him. As he wrapped his arms  
  
around her, Rafe realized just how much his missed the feeling of having her arms  
  
wrapped around him.  
  
" It's so great to see you," replied Rafe as a grin spread across his face. He leaned  
  
forward and kissed her. Ed smiled as he stood up.  
  
" I think I'll leave you two lovebirds alone," he said. "Rafe, I'll be back in a few  
  
hours to take you on the next part of your trip. All right? Hello?" Rafe didn't hear a  
  
single word that came out of Ed's mouth. He was too engrossed in Allison to pay  
  
attention to the outside world. 


	6. Shooting Star

Gabby felt her insides tighten as she woke up in her empty bed. She knew what  
  
today was even before she opened her eyes. The grief and pain were gnawing at her  
  
stomach, begging to be let out. He had been gone for a month now. It had come so  
  
quickly. In her mind, it felt like the time was crawling since Ricky had been dead, but in  
  
reality the time had flown by. It barely seemed like a month to Gabby. Flinging back the  
  
covers, she got out of bed and headed for the bathroom. A hot shower always calmed her  
  
nerves. She piled a stack of towels beside the shower then flicked on the radio as she  
  
stepped in. Warm water cascading over her sun burnt shoulders as she sang along to the  
  
song on the radio.  
  
" And when the stars fall  
  
I will lie awake  
  
You're my shooting star."  
  
" That was Michelle Branch with 'Good-Bye To You.' Up next we have some  
  
local PC talent. A band by the name of 23 Link Chain with their debut single sung by  
  
slain drummer Ricky Garza. This band is going places I tell you. Here's their awesome  
  
single." Despite the hot water falling down her body, Gabby became extremely cold. As  
  
Ricky's voice filled the room, she found herself sliding down the side of the shower with  
  
tears streaming down her face.  
  
" I can't believe I ever pushed you away," stated Rafe as he stared into Alison's  
  
brilliant blue eyes.  
  
" I understand sweetie," Alison replied.  
  
" I love you so much," he said as he bent in and kissed her.  
  
" Hate to break this party up, but it's time for our last trip for the day," interrupted  
  
Ed as he walked up.  
  
" Did I ever tell you that you have awful timing Dad?"  
  
" You can meet back up with Blondie in an hour or so. How's that? I'll be done  
  
with you then son."  
  
" Sounds good. I'll bring the strawberries and whipped cream," Alison said as she  
  
stood up and walked out.  
  
" Whipped Cream? I'm not going there," Ed replied as they headed across the  
  
street.  
  
Lucy stared longingly at a picture of Christina and Serena taken earlier that year.  
  
Scott had just been to take them back to Canada after a short visit. It seemed as if  
  
everything in her life was missing because of the psycho person that had begun to run the  
  
lives of those in PC. Her children were hundreds of miles away without their mother. Her  
  
husband was never home and when he was, Kevin was extremely disturbed. All of his  
  
timely was mainly devoted to catching the crazy S.O.B. He told Lucy he was going to  
  
work every day, that the patients were soothing his nerves. She knew the truth. He was  
  
spending every single waking minute trying to solve the case. And then there was Rafe.  
  
Lucy hadn't seen her cousin for over a week. He had forbidden her to see him and it was  
  
all do to the sick monster. Standing up, she wandered over to the fireplace mantle that  
  
was lined with photos. One in particular interested her. In a delicate silver frame lay the  
  
picture of Alison and Rafe on their wedding day. Rafe was standing with his arms around  
  
Alison, showing off his goofy grin. Tears sprang to Lucy's eyes as she realized that her  
  
cousin might never walk again. Taking the picture off the mantle, she slid it in purse. She  
  
was going to help her husband catch this psycho. If it were the last thing she did.  
  
" Where are we going Ed?" asked Rafe as they headed down a long dimly lit  
  
hallway.  
  
" The suicide ward."  
  
" The what? Ed, I'm not going in there. You can't make me."  
  
" Watch me!" said Ed as he snapped his fingers together. 


	7. Hacker

Ian's heart lurched as the digital clock on the stove flipped to ten thirty. Almost  
  
immediately afterward, a light knock sounded on the door. Mike, his doorman was  
  
standing in the doorframe, holding a large package.  
  
" This is for you Ian."  
  
" Did you see who dropped it off?" questioned Mac as he stood up.  
  
" Some man. He said he'd be watching to make sure you got it."  
  
" What did he look like?"  
  
" Bout 5'9, short black hair. He was wearing a hat and sunglasses."  
  
" Thanks Mike. We appreciate it," replied Ian as he shut the door and crossed to  
  
the VCR to put in the VHS tape that had come in the package. The video soon popped up  
  
on the screen. Ian could hear voices; one most definitely was an ill Toby, the other was  
  
some man Toby was calling Max. The camera shot to a full view of the room. It looked  
  
like a crudely lit jail cell of some sort, but there was no bed. The only lighting was  
  
provided by a small rectangle that was supposed to pass as a window. In the middle of the  
  
room was a metal pole, which Toby was propped up against. From a back view they  
  
could see the handcuffs that were binding him. A close up of his face showed obvious  
  
fatigue. Suddenly the talking picked back up again. Toby was pleading with this Max  
  
person for sugar. Max agreed, but insisted that he must work for the sugar. Ian cringed as  
  
he watched Max repeatedly strike Toby until he was nearly unconscious. The camera yet  
  
again zoomed in, showing the injuries that Max had inflicted upon him. The screen went  
  
black then flashed to a voice over.  
  
" Did you enjoy our little game Ian? See what your little friend has to do just for  
  
a simple sugar packet? He's growing weaker each minute. That little sugar packet didn't  
  
do much for him. You may want to find him before it gets worse."  
  
To: irisheyes626  
  
From: tryandfindme227  
  
Subject: Find Me Please  
  
I bet you're wondering how exactly I got your screen name. Simple. I hacked into  
  
the system at GH. Pretty smart of me. I know the cop saw the video tape and that  
  
they now probably have you under full surveillance incase I try to make contact  
  
with you in some way. Bet they didn't think to bug your e-mail.  
  
I know they're out trying to inconspicuously comb the city, looking for Toby. They  
  
probably have half the force trying to pick up some sort of clue in that video I sent  
  
you. Maybe if they watch close enough.  
  
Hurry before Toby is forced to beg for more sugar. You wouldn't want another  
  
repeat would you?  
  
To: tryanfindme227  
  
From: irisheyes626  
  
Subject:Re: Find Me  
  
Screen name tryandfindme227 is no longer available.  
  
Filled with frustration, Ian logged off his email, bagged up his laptop, and headed  
  
for the parking garage. He might as well go to work.  
  
" Are we done yet?" asked Rafe as they exited the ward.  
  
" Almost." Ed replied. Rafe was considerably shaken up after seeing the people  
  
that had done what he had tried to do the night before.  
  
" Look, Ed. I get your point. Now can I please just go? I don't know how much  
  
more I can take. Please?"  
  
" I know this is hard on you son, but you've got to face your future. This next stop  
  
won't be as bad as the first. I promise."  
  
" Where are we now?"  
  
" The rehab center. There's someone I want you to meet."  
  
" Is this person alive?"  
  
" Yes she is."  
  
" She? Dad you know I've got a wife."  
  
" I doubt Sara will give you any trouble," Ed said as they entered.  
  
" Hello Mr. Grant. Back again?"  
  
" I've brought my son to meet Sara. Is she busy?"  
  
" No sir, she isn't. I believe you'll find her back in the living room."  
  
" Thanks Leah," replied Ed as he directed Rafe to a door. Wheeling through it,  
  
Rafe found himself in a well-furnished living room. Couches surrounded a television and  
  
entertainment center, while another wall held a pool table and a ping-pong table. At the  
  
ping-pong table sat a girl no older than eighteen in a wheelchair.  
  
" Hey Ed, what's up?" she asked.  
  
" Not much Sara. This is my son that I was telling you about."  
  
" The mule headed stubborn one?"  
  
" That's me," spoke up Rafe as Sara began laughing.  
  
" It's funny. Most people I know won't admit to their stubbornness."  
  
" Well I'm one of a few that will," Rafe said as he picked up a paddle.  
  
" Want to play?" challenged Sara.  
  
" Sure why not?" 


	8. Spanish Inquisition

" So are you going to get to live in this hell hole of a place?" asked Sara as she hit  
  
a ball across the net.  
  
" Just long enough to get down the basics then I'm going home and continuing  
  
through out patient."  
  
" Lucky."  
  
" Oh, how long are you staying?"  
  
" I don't have the option of out patient services. My parents live in New Jersey  
  
and I'm stuck here until my treatment is completely done."  
  
" That must stink."  
  
" It's not so bad. I've been here for two years."  
  
" Two years? May I ask what happened?"  
  
" It was one of those 'right place wrong time' situations. I was walking home  
  
from school with my friends. We were walking through town when all of a sudden there  
  
were these loud pops. Next thing I know, I'm on the ground and I couldn't feel my legs.  
  
Some kid holding up a grocery store had accidentally shot me in the back. On the bright  
  
side, we won a million dollars after suing the boys' families."  
  
" That's too bad," Rafe said as he served a ball.  
  
" Can I ask what happened to you? I mean if you want to tell me. If it's too soon  
  
or anything you don't have to."  
  
" No, I want to. Sara, a man tried to murder me by tying me to a wooden steak  
  
and burning it. I have third degree burns covering my legs and second degree burns on  
  
my lower chest."  
  
" Is that why you're in the chair?"  
  
" Yeah. The burns damaged the nerves in my legs. The doctors don't know if I'll  
  
ever walk again."  
  
" What did you do before 'The 4 Wheeled Curse?'  
  
" I just got married to my beautiful soul mate, Alison. We were just starting out in  
  
life."  
  
" That bites."  
  
" I know. For a while I couldn't bare to have her look at my legs. It was  
  
embarrassing. I actually sent her away so I wouldn't have to see her and be reminded of  
  
our life before my accident. I just saw her for the first time today."  
  
" That's sweet."  
  
" Would you like to meet Alison sometime? I think she's coming by later."  
  
" That would be great."  
  
" She'd probably love to have someone to talk to."  
  
" Doesn't she have any family or friends besides you?"  
  
" It's all an extremely long story."  
  
" All right."  
  
" Sara?"  
  
" Yeah?"  
  
" Can I tell you something? It may sound silly."  
  
" No, go ahead. I'm all ears."  
  
" I'm scared. I know that sounds weird because I'm usually brave, but I'm honest  
  
to god terrified of the future."  
  
" That's okay Rafe. You're human. You're allowed to be scared."  
  
This day wasn't going as planned for Cody. He was supposed to meet his brother  
  
for lunch at the hospital, but the way it was looking he'd be spending his afternoon in the  
  
god-forsaken left lane of the interstate.  
  
About fifteen minutes things began to let up. Cody easily drove through traffic  
  
and made his way to the hospital. He pulled his yellow Ford Escape into a parking spot  
  
and walked in. Glancing at his watch, he saw that it was 12:15. There was no sign of his  
  
brother. Deciding to find him, the man walked up to the nurse's station.  
  
" Um, can I help you?" asked a blondish nurse as she cracked a wad of chewing  
  
gum.  
  
" I need to find my brother. We were supposed to meet here twenty minutes ago."  
  
" And?"  
  
" I was wondering if you knew where he is."  
  
" Uh, I don't know. Does he work here?"  
  
" Yeah."  
  
" What is he?"  
  
" Excuse me?"  
  
" Like is he a doctor, or a paramedic, or a nurse, or like a tech?"  
  
" Uh, like, he's a doctor, uh." mimicked the man.  
  
" There's no reason for you to like get smart with me boy."  
  
" Boy? I've probably got a few years on you, Layla."  
  
" So like what is he again?"  
  
" A DOCTOR! Did I speak loud enough for you to hear me?"  
  
" Sir calm down. I just need to know a few things about you first before I find  
  
your brother. There's been some heightened security around town recently."  
  
" Heightened security or stupidity? I just want to see my brother."  
  
" Sir, give me you name, your driver's license, and a recent photo of yourself."  
  
" You've got to be kidding. What is this? The freakin' Spanish Inquisition? I just  
  
want to see my brother. Is that a problem? I'm not some crazed assed killer. Why don't  
  
you page him with your 'super duper' PA system? Call him down here so he can tell you  
  
I'm not crazy."  
  
" Sir if you could just tell me your name, we can speed up this whole process?"  
  
" My name? Cody James Mayer, hostile and at your service."  
  
" Hold up. What did you say your name was?"  
  
" Cody Mayer. Are you deaf?"  
  
" You had better come with me." 


	9. Family Portrait

Ian was sitting at the nurse's station on the sixth floor, eating a bowl of  
  
strawberries and scrolling through his email, hoping that Toby's kidnapper had decided  
  
to log back on for a 'nice friendly chat.'  
  
" No such luck," he muttered as Layla walked up to him, accompanied by a curly  
  
haired man.  
  
" Who's your friend Lay?"  
  
" A supreme wiseass."  
  
" Ah, was he mocking you? I could see.."  
  
" He says he's Toby Mayer's brother." Ian looked up from his computer in shock.  
  
" Did you say?"  
  
" What's with everyone thinking I'm deaf today? Yes I said Toby Mayer."  
  
" All right. Leave him here," Ian said as he shut his laptop and walked around to  
  
Toby's 'brother.' He was wearing khakis shorts, sandals, a black tank, and a backwards  
  
red Yankees cap. Two horseshoe gages sat in each ear and a barbed wire tattoo wrapped  
  
around his left bicep.  
  
" So you are?"  
  
" Cody Mayer."  
  
" When was the last time you saw Toby?"  
  
" A few weeks ago. Look, what's going on? I'm just supposed to be meeting him  
  
for lunch. Is there something that you aren't telling me?"  
  
" Someone has kidnapped him."  
  
" Ha! That's funny."  
  
" I'm serious. He's been missing for over twelve hours now."  
  
" Are you kidding me?"  
  
" Do I look like I'm trying to be funny?"  
  
" No."  
  
" Look, we need to know about any family the two of you have for emergency  
  
contacts."  
  
" Our family? What family?"  
  
" I'm assuming you and Toby have parents." Cody laughed as he pulled out his  
  
wallet.  
  
" Okay. Picture #1. My dad, my mother. Justin is 10, Toby is 7, and I'm four.  
  
Picture #2. Dad left the day Mom found out she was manic. Justin is 13, Toby 10, and  
  
I'm 7. Picture #3. Justin's 19, Toby 16, and I'm 13. Picture #4, Toby is 22 and I'm 19."  
  
" What happened to your mom and Justin?"  
  
" Justin was murdered. Mom went M.I.A. the day after his funeral. Finally,  
  
picture #5, Toby is 32 and I'm 29. Thus ends the story of the messed up Mayer family."  
  
" You mentioned your mother being manic. How was it growing up?"  
  
" See this scar?" Cody asked as he revealed a four-inch mark on his stomach.  
  
This is where she tried to stab me."  
  
" And the burn on your hand?"  
  
" Courtesy of her too!"  
  
" What about Toby?"  
  
" He's got a pretty long gash on his chest not to mention the one on his right arm.  
  
I think she also broke his leg pushing him down the stairs once."  
  
" Did she ever hurt Justin?" Cody grew quite as Justin's name came up.  
  
" Sorry. So how did you all manage?"  
  
" Justin took care of things until he. Our grandparents took us in after that."  
  
" Can you call them?"  
  
" Our grandparents are dead."  
  
" So I guess it's just you."  
  
" You got it."  
  
'IN OUR FAMILY PORTRAIT WE LOOK PRETTY HAPPY. WE LOOK PRETTY NORMAL. LET'S GO BACK TO THAT.' 


	10. Nothing More, Nothing Less

After a few more rounds with Sara, Rafe found himself tired. She kindly showed  
  
him to his "prison cell" as she called it, which would be his home for the next few  
  
months. Stretching out on his extremely comfortable bed, he found it strange that for the  
  
first time in days he felt no pain in his body whatsoever. He poked at his burns and felt  
  
nothing at all.  
  
" That's strange," he thought aloud as the door opened.  
  
" What's strange?" Alison asked as she entered.  
  
" Nothing. So how is my beautiful wife?" Rafe said, quickly changing the subject.  
  
" Just wonderful," she commented as she lie down beside him in bed.  
  
" Oh how I've missed this," replied Rafe as he gently stroked his wife's fine  
  
blonde hair.  
  
" You're not the only one," whispered Alison.  
  
" I've also missed doing this," he said as he began planting kisses all over her  
  
body.  
  
And this," he added as he began unbuttoning her shirt.  
  
" Rafe! Should we be doing this so soon? I mean."  
  
" Shh," he whispered as he threw the blankets over top of them.  
  
5/15/02  
  
TIME IS UP!  
  
" Why don't we go across the street and talk about this some more?" suggested  
  
Ian.  
  
" Sounds good," commented Cody as they headed out the doors.  
  
" So how long are you in town?" he asked as they entered the Recovery Room.  
  
" Well before I found out about Toby being missing, I was only supposed to be in  
  
town for today. We were supposed to meet for lunch then I was going to head back for  
  
the city. Now, I really don't know."  
  
" What do you do?" wondered Ian.  
  
" I'm a social worker slash aspiring rock star," Cody said with a laugh.  
  
" Sounds likes a life," Ian replied.  
  
" Look why don't you order me a margarita? I'm going to go try to plea bargain  
  
for my job."  
  
" All right," he said as he walked up to the bar.  
  
" Hey Ian. What can I get for you?" asked Frank.  
  
" My usual and a margarita."  
  
" Five twenty five."  
  
" Here," he said as he put down the money and sat on a barstool.  
  
" Here's the whiskey and your margarita," Frank announced as Cody walked up.  
  
" So do you still have a job?" Ian asked as he sat down.  
  
" Yeah. My boss owes me a favor. I told him my brother was dying."  
  
" That could be the truth," remarked Ian as he sipped the whiskey.  
  
How serious is Toby's diabetes? I mean I've experienced a few episodes but  
  
you've known him for all your life," he said with another sip.  
  
" Toby's what you'd called a severely brittle diabetic. He's fully dependent of his  
  
insulin. He has to take it at least four if not five or six times a day."  
  
" Who's his specialist?"  
  
" Ryan O'Keefe. He works out of NYC."  
  
" Do you think you could get me his history?" Ian asked as a strange tightness  
  
engulfed his chest.  
  
" Yeah. I'll look up his office and call. Are you all right?" asked Cody suddenly.  
  
Ian didn't answer. Instead he turned to Frank, his face turning beet red.  
  
" What the hell did you put in my drink Scanlon?"  
  
" What are you talking about? I poured you a straight up Irish Whiskey. Nothing  
  
more, nothing less."  
  
" That's bullshit," Ian said as he stood and started to collapse. Cody luckily  
  
caught and held him upright.  
  
" Ian, let me get you to the hospital," Frank offered.  
  
" No. Don't lay a hand on me. I don't want you anywhere near me!" he screamed,  
  
causing people to stare.  
  
" Come on Ian."  
  
" No. You're trying to kill me. Probably walk me into the path of a bus if you had  
  
the chance. I'll get there on my own," Ian replied as he stumbled to the door with Cody  
  
close behind.  
  
Eve was sitting at the front desk with nothing to do when Ian came staggering in,  
  
looking as if he were dying.  
  
" Ian are you all right?"  
  
" No."  
  
" What's wrong?"  
  
" Your crazy ass brother poisoned my drink! He's trying to kill me!" Ian  
  
screamed at Joe before he collapsed onto the floor. 


	11. 9:05

Ed found himself strolling around the park, feeling guilty for what he had just  
  
done.  
  
" ED!" bellowed a deep voice from with in the bushes. Ed jumped about five feet  
  
into the air as Sam came out of the bushes.  
  
" Yes Sam? What are you doing here?"  
  
" Ed, you know why I'm here."  
  
" No I don't," he said innocently, "But I thoroughly enjoyed that German woman  
  
you sent!"  
  
" Gertrude? Ah I figured she needed to get 'out' for awhile."  
  
" Tell Gertrude I said hello."  
  
" Will do. Now will you tell me why exactly you've completely numbed your son  
  
from all pain?  
  
Toby awoke in a fuzzy state of delirium. The sugar Max had given him, had left  
  
him feeling temporarily normal, but it had long ago worn off and now he felt worse than  
  
before. A fruity taste was starting to fill his mouth, one of many signs that he was going  
  
into insulin shock. His skin had become clammy, covered in perspiration.  
  
" Come on. Please! I need. I need sugar," he pleaded out loud before he grew tired  
  
and fell back asleep.  
  
He could hear her voice from far away, at the end of a long tunnel. She was  
  
begging him to come back and answer her. Where was he? Glancing around he found  
  
himself to be in a completely white, deserted room. He turned every which way, but  
  
couldn't find a way out. What was going on?  
  
Eve sat beside her husband's side, clasping onto his hand. The poison had  
  
successfully been extracted from his system, thankfully just in time. Whatever it was, it  
  
was extremely lethal and would have killed him if he had come in five minutes later. She  
  
had sent the contents of his stomach to be tested at the lab, not only for the police, but for  
  
herself as well. There could be varying side effects depending exactly what had been  
  
slipped in his drink. The thing that worried Eve was that he hadn't awoken yet.  
  
" I swear to God I'm innocent!" Frank screamed as the police pulled him into an  
  
interrogation room.  
  
" I hate to point this out to you Frank, but your prints were on the bottle that  
  
produced the alcohol that Ian drank that nearly killed him."  
  
" Look, Andy. Tony. My prints are on every single freaking bottle in the bar. I'm  
  
a BARTENDER!"  
  
" Yes, but technically your prints are on the 'attempted murder weapon.'  
  
Therefore you're a suspect."  
  
" Whatever. Now can we just get these questions over with?"  
  
" Look, Frank. Ian's accident isn't the only reason you're here. We have reason to  
  
suspect that you could have something to do with the murders."  
  
" All of them? You're crazy! I don't have anything to do with any sorts of  
  
murdering."  
  
" Then you won't mind answering our questions?"  
  
" No. I'd be glad!"  
  
" Wow. That was great," Alison whispered as she pushed herself above the  
  
covers.  
  
" Not that shabby for someone with no feeling in their lower body, huh?"  
  
" Not shabby at all," replied Alison.  
  
Not shabby at all."  
  
He recognized the man standing in front of him almost immediately as the boy in  
  
Cody's pictures.  
  
" Justin?"  
  
" Cody told you about me?" he said in more of a statement rather than a question.  
  
" Yes he did. Which means you're. Which means I'm."  
  
" Don't get any ideas. You're not permanently staying. You're here kind of for  
  
formality I guess you could say."  
  
" You mean I'm not dead?"  
  
" No. It's just your body being stubborn for a bit," remarked Justin.  
  
" Imagine that. My body being stubborn."  
  
" Ha."  
  
" Look, Justin. I know I'm supposed to be 'stalling' here, but I'm just so tired. I  
  
don't know if I can keep it up."  
  
" You can't give up here. You've got to go back."  
  
" To do what?"  
  
" To save my brother."  
  
" Toby? What from?"  
  
" He's missing, correct?"  
  
" Yes."  
  
" It's your job to save him."  
  
" Excuse me?"  
  
" If I don't zap you back down, Toby's going to be joining us."  
  
" He's going to die?"  
  
" If you don't stop being so stubborn and go back down, yes he will. Very soon in  
  
fact."  
  
" How soon?"  
  
" Soon, as in if you don't wake up and find him by tomorrow night by let's say at  
  
9:05 he'll be dead." 


	12. Pondering Crazy

Ed found himself strolling around the park, feeling guilty for what he had just  
  
done.  
  
" ED!" bellowed a deep voice from with in the bushes. Ed jumped about five feet  
  
into the air as Sam came out of the bushes.  
  
" Yes Sam? What are you doing here?"  
  
" Ed, you know why I'm here."  
  
" No I don't," he said innocently, "But I thoroughly enjoyed that German woman  
  
you sent!"  
  
" Gertrude? Ah I figured she needed to get 'out' for awhile."  
  
" Tell Gertrude I said hello."  
  
" Will do. Now will you tell me why exactly you've completely numbed your son  
  
from all pain?  
  
Toby awoke in a fuzzy state of delirium. The sugar Max had given him, had left  
  
him feeling temporarily normal, but it had long ago worn off and now he felt worse than  
  
before. A fruity taste was starting to fill his mouth, one of many signs that he was going  
  
into insulin shock. His skin had become clammy, covered in perspiration.  
  
" Come on. Please! I need. I need sugar," he pleaded out loud before he grew tired  
  
and fell back asleep.  
  
He could hear her voice from far away, at the end of a long tunnel. She was  
  
begging him to come back and answer her. Where was he? Glancing around he found  
  
himself to be in a completely white, deserted room. He turned every which way, but  
  
couldn't find a way out. What was going on?  
  
Eve sat beside her husband's side, clasping onto his hand. The poison had  
  
successfully been extracted from his system, thankfully just in time. Whatever it was, it  
  
was extremely lethal and would have killed him if he had come in five minutes later. She  
  
had sent the contents of his stomach to be tested at the lab, not only for the police, but for  
  
herself as well. There could be varying side effects depending exactly what had been  
  
slipped in his drink. The thing that worried Eve was that he hadn't awoken yet.  
  
" I swear to God I'm innocent!" Frank screamed as the police pulled him into an  
  
interrogation room.  
  
" I hate to point this out to you Frank, but your prints were on the bottle that  
  
produced the alcohol that Ian drank that nearly killed him."  
  
" Look, Andy. Tony. My prints are on every single freaking bottle in the bar. I'm  
  
a BARTENDER!"  
  
" Yes, but technically your prints are on the 'attempted murder weapon.'  
  
Therefore you're a suspect."  
  
" Whatever. Now can we just get these questions over with?"  
  
" Look, Frank. Ian's accident isn't the only reason you're here. We have reason to  
  
suspect that you could have something to do with the murders."  
  
" All of them? You're crazy! I don't have anything to do with any sorts of  
  
murdering."  
  
" Then you won't mind answering our questions?"  
  
" No. I'd be glad!"  
  
" Wow. That was great," Alison whispered as she pushed herself above the  
  
covers.  
  
" Not that shabby for someone with no feeling in their lower body, huh?"  
  
" Not shabby at all," replied Alison.  
  
Not shabby at all."  
  
He recognized the man standing in front of him almost immediately as the boy in  
  
Cody's pictures.  
  
" Justin?"  
  
" Cody told you about me?" he said in more of a statement rather than a question.  
  
" Yes he did. Which means you're. Which means I'm."  
  
" Don't get any ideas. You're not permanently staying. You're here kind of for  
  
formality I guess you could say."  
  
" You mean I'm not dead?"  
  
" No. It's just your body being stubborn for a bit," remarked Justin.  
  
" Imagine that. My body being stubborn."  
  
" Ha."  
  
" Look, Justin. I know I'm supposed to be 'stalling' here, but I'm just so tired. I  
  
don't know if I can keep it up."  
  
" You can't give up here. You've got to go back."  
  
" To do what?"  
  
" To save my brother."  
  
" Toby? What from?"  
  
" He's missing, correct?"  
  
" Yes."  
  
" It's your job to save him."  
  
" Excuse me?"  
  
" If I don't zap you back down, Toby's going to be joining us."  
  
" He's going to die?"  
  
" If you don't stop being so stubborn and go back down, yes he will. Very soon in  
  
fact."  
  
" How soon?"  
  
" Soon, as in if you don't wake up and find him by tomorrow night by let's say at  
  
9:05 he'll be dead." 


	13. Insensitive

Karen scanned the ER quickly for Eve before heading over to the patient board.  
  
Glancing down the list, she saw Ian listed on T-4. He was still in Trauma? Damn, this  
  
wasn't good. Quickly she found her way to the trauma room. Peeking in through the  
  
window, Karen saw Eve cradling Ian's hand. She knocked on the glass. Eve turned and  
  
motioned her in.  
  
" How is he?"  
  
" He woke up for a little bit about an hour ago, but he fell back asleep."  
  
" How severe is it?"  
  
" Pretty bad. I haven't gotten the Toxicology results back, but the poison caused a  
  
lot of damage."  
  
" Is his breathing still bad?"  
  
" His lungs were weakened greatly. We won't know how everything is going to  
  
turn out until we know exactly what was used."  
  
" Look. I know this is going to sound insensitive, but are you going to press  
  
charges against Frank?"  
  
" You're right. That was insensitive."  
  
" So are you?"  
  
" My husband may be dying and all you can ask me is whether or not we're going  
  
to press charges? Where do you get off?"  
  
" Excuse me? Look, I'm concerned as much as you are."  
  
" Sure you are. Could you do me a favor and leave? I don't need this right now,"  
  
Eve insisted as Karen backed out of the room.  
  
" Damn it!" Justin screamed in fury. "What the hell is he doing? He's supposed to  
  
be saving Toby, not taking coma naps! I didn't want it to come to this, but I suppose it  
  
has to," he said as he snapped his fingers together, disappearing.  
  
" Look, Sam. I have my reasons. Believe me."  
  
" You had better have a good explanation."  
  
" My son has just reunited with his wife. They've been separated for weeks. I  
  
thought it would be nice if they could spend time together without the pain interfering."  
  
" Well, they've been spending time together all right. They." Sam paused.  
  
" What is it?" questioned Ed.  
  
" Do you sense another one of us around the area?"  
  
" Yes. It's very strong," Ed answered as Justin stepped out from a clump of  
  
bushes.  
  
" Justin Mayer. What are you doing here?" they both asked in unison.  
  
" Taking matters into my own hands. Now you two keep chit chatting while I do a  
  
little wake up call."  
  
" We'll be having a talk about this son," remarked Ed as Justin stalked off down a  
  
path.  
  
" So where were we Sam?"  
  
Justin walked through the hallways of the hospital, praying that he wouldn't run  
  
into Cody. That was all he needed tonight was to explain to his brother why exactly he  
  
was 'alive' after sixteen years! He immediately found Ian's room and saw his wife by his  
  
side. She needed to be away. Positioning himself out of site, but still in range to use his  
  
'powers' Justin concentrated hard. Hopefully it would work.  
  
The William Tell Overture rang loudly, causing Eve to stir and answer her cell  
  
phone.  
  
" Hello?"  
  
" This is the daycare center. Will you be picking up your son or will the nanny  
  
be?"  
  
" Oh crap. Is it that late already? Can you wait for a few minutes? I'll be down to  
  
pick up."  
  
" Sure thing." Eve groaned as she hung up.  
  
" I'll be right back," she whispered as she kissed her husband and left.  
  
Justin grinned from ear to ear as Eve exited. Now he was to move on to step 2.  
  
Carefully he crept into Ian's room and stood beside his bed. Laying a hand on his  
  
shoulder, an unbelievable light enveloped the entire area. Ian's eyes jerked open  
  
suddenly.  
  
" I thought I told you to come back and stay back. There was no 'coma napping'  
  
included in that plan. You're not good at following instructions are you?" Unable to  
  
reply, Justin pushed into Ian's mind to read his thoughts.  
  
"Help me out. I want to find Toby as much as you do. I can see how much this  
  
means to you. The pain is unbearable, but it probably doesn't compare to what Toby is  
  
feeling. Can you get me my clothes?"  
  
"Are you sure you want to do this? You don't look well and by your thoughts I  
  
can tell you don't feel so hot either."  
  
"I can take care of myself after we find Toby. Right now, I'm not facing death."  
  
As Justin scurried about looking for Ian's clothes, he slowly regained his  
  
mobility, first removing the tube from his throat. Taking a few gulps of fresh air, he felt  
  
his lungs protest. They ached so badly. Ignoring the pain, he yanked out his IV and pulled  
  
on the clothes Justin had found.  
  
" Do you need anything?"  
  
" I've got to stay hydrated. Could you find me a bottle of water?"  
  
" I can do better," replied Justin as he pulled a bottle of Dasani out of thin air.  
  
" Thanks," he said as he gulped most of it down.  
  
" Anything else?"  
  
" A way out of here? My wife is about three feet away." 


	14. Nonsense

Eve smiled at Danny as he toddled along side her.  
  
" Do you want to see your daddy?"  
  
" Daddy?" he questioned as he looked at her.  
  
" Want to look through the window at Daddy?" she asked as she held Danny up to  
  
the window.  
  
" No Daddy."  
  
" What do you mean no daddy? I thought you wanted to see him."  
  
" Daddy all gone!" he exclaimed, pointing to the empty bed.  
  
" Damn It!" she cursed as she headed for the front desk.  
  
" Colleen have you seen my husband anywhere? He's not in the room."  
  
" He isn't? I thought he was immobile and comatose."  
  
" So did I, but he's not there anymore."  
  
" Should I call security?"  
  
" Yes, please."  
  
Jack found himself wandering aimlessly down the street with no recognition of  
  
the time. His days had begun to blur together. It all seemed the same. He was completely  
  
numb and unfeeling. His life was nothing, but at the same time he needed something. Far  
  
off to his right, he saw a group of guys about his age crowded around a small corner. Jack  
  
immediately realized they were playing dice. Maybe a little gambling would cure his  
  
depression.  
  
" Hey. Mind if I join?"  
  
" Only if you have money," replied one of the guys.  
  
" What's the ante?"  
  
" Twenty," answered a bald man as he laughed.  
  
The stabbing pain in his lungs made it unbearable walk. Every part of his body  
  
was protesting, yet he kept going. Justin had left him long ago, having to go back to 'The  
  
In-Between.' He was sure his wife had begun looking for him as soon as she realized he  
  
had disappeared. In his mind, he knew he should go back, but he couldn't. He wasn't  
  
going home until he found Toby. There was no way he was going to break his promise to  
  
Justin. He was not going to let Toby die. Ian stopped for a moment, trying to catch his  
  
breath, which was very rugged. Glancing at his watch he saw that it was nearing ten. He  
  
had no idea where to go or even where to start. Ian seriously thought he was hallucinating  
  
when he heard his cell phone ring; he wasn't extremely lucid.  
  
" Hello?"  
  
" Well if it isn't my good old friend, the Irishman."  
  
" Who is this?"  
  
" You should know. I have your good friend here with me, Dr. Mayer."  
  
" You have Toby? How is he?"  
  
" I don't know. Why don't you ask him?"  
  
" Toby? Toby?" There was a silence then a voice speaking slurred nonsense came  
  
on the line,  
  
" I swear. I'm going to beat the. He's got a whole pizza, covered in extra cheese.  
  
Oh god. It's so warm in here. Make the heat stop. I need."  
  
" He sounds serious, doesn't he? I believe the delirious confusion has set it. It's a  
  
shame you didn't find him today. I had to poison you. How's that working for you?"  
  
" It's.." Ian started to say, but he was interrupted by a sharp, stabbing pain in his  
  
side.  
  
" You don't sound so well. Maybe you should give up."  
  
" And let you kill innocent people? Dream on. I'll be okay," he said, grimacing as  
  
a wave of pain caused him to double over.  
  
" Are you sure about that?"  
  
" Totally. One. Hundred. Percent. Look. Why don't you just give up and  
  
surrender? I'm sure you could plea bargain with the police."  
  
" Nope. Not going to happen. Wanna know what I think? I think this phone  
  
conversation is over," the man said as he hung up. Ian nearly turned off his phone when  
  
he saw the Caller ID box still lingering. '675-8248.'  
  
'This is too easy,' he muttered as he called Information.  
  
" Hello. How may I help you?"  
  
" I need an address for a phone number. 675-8248."  
  
" That would be matched up to the old mill down by the waterfront."  
  
" Thanks," he said as he hung up. It was worth a shot.  
  
The silence of the house alarmed him. She was supposed to show up to work at  
  
nine, but she hadn't. Was she still there? Climbing up the stairs, he heard a faint  
  
whimpering coming from their bedroom. Opening the door, he found her curled up on  
  
their bed with tears lingering on her pale cheeks. Kicking off his shoes, he got up on the  
  
bed and wrapped her in his arms.  
  
" Shh. It's okay. You're going to be okay."  
  
" I heard him on the radio today and for a split second before I had begun to  
  
forget."  
  
" Just let it all out."  
  
" Please don't leave me."  
  
" I'd never dream of it."  
  
" What was your husband wearing?"  
  
" I'm not sure. Jeans and a gray t-shirt I think."  
  
" How serious is his condition?"  
  
" He was poisoned god damn it. Shouldn't that tell you anything?"  
  
" Look Ms. We'll try our best to find him."  
  
Ian was in great pain as he reached the waterfront. Every breath pained him. He  
  
had to rest nearly after every step he took. Whatever poison he had ingested was some  
  
pretty lethal stuff. He suddenly stopped in front of the address the woman had given him.  
  
Could this be it? Could this? he wondered as everything went black. A two by four that  
  
had been used to knock him out was thrown in the water then Ian's limp body was drug  
  
inside.  
  
" All right guys. I'm quitting while I'm ahead. Same time same place tomorrow?"  
  
Jack asked as he stood.  
  
" Yeah. See you Jack," shouted D. as the group began to dismember. Jack strolled  
  
away casually, unusually giddy from the amount of cash he had pocketed. Perhaps he had  
  
finally found something to pass his time. 


	15. Sorry

He felt an intense throbbing pain in his skull as he slowly came to. Starbursts  
  
clouded his vision, but after a few minutes it cleared, allowing him to glance around the  
  
darken room which looked oddly familiar. Slowly lifting his head, Ian saw the small  
  
window that had been in the video. He was in the right place. Struggling to get up, Ian  
  
felt the metal cuffs resisting his movement. With the little strength he had, he felt it best  
  
to sit back down and rest. The struggling could come later. As soon as he sat down, he  
  
nearly jumped back up again as his hands came in contact with another's. There was  
  
someone in there with him. The question was though, who was it?  
  
" Who's there?" he asked as he touched the cool, clammy skin. Nah. It was  
  
impossible. It couldn't be.  
  
" Toby?"  
  
" Help me Mom. Help me. He's dying Mom. There's so much blood. I can't make  
  
it stop. Damn it! Make it stop. It won't stop bleeding. Somebody go find Cody.  
  
Somebody please! Nooo!" he screeched at the top of his lungs.  
  
" Toby, calm down. It's going to be okay," Ian reassured even though he knew it  
  
probably would not be.  
  
" Ian?" wondered Toby in his delirium.  
  
" I'm right here Toby."  
  
" Help him please. He's dying. I can't make it stop. You've got to help him."  
  
" Who?"  
  
" Justin, he's dying. He needs help. Where's Cody? He."  
  
" I'll find Cody," Ian muttered as he reached for Toby's wrist. Trying to find a  
  
pulse both upside down and blindly was proving to be quite a task combined with the  
  
concussion Ian was sure he had. Finally finding it, he felt an extremely fast beating  
  
underneath his fingers. Toby was in distress. He wasn't doing so great either. They were  
  
stranded in the middle of nowhere. No one knew where they were. To top it all off, they  
  
were being held against against their will by a raving lunatic. Talk about having a bad  
  
day.  
  
She had gotten no sleep during the night. Every time she closed her eyes, she  
  
could picture him lying in some alley, bleeding, unconscious, or worse. Every minute that  
  
ticked away on the clock was another minute he was with the much-needed medical care  
  
he needed. Eve nervously paced the floor and stopped on the balcony as she glanced at  
  
the sun, which was slowly rising. The beauty of it caught her breath. At that exact  
  
moment she knew that he would be okay. He was going to come back today.  
  
The sun poked through the small window in the corner, allowing most of the  
  
room to be slightly visible. Ian's eyes shot open as a reaction to the brightness. He had  
  
barely slept. Between the anxiety of being 'kidnapped', feeling as if his insides were  
  
slowly turning inside out, and worrying about Toby there had been no time for sleep. A  
  
loud clunk and the door opening caused him to jerk his head up.  
  
" Ah I see you're awake."  
  
" Max?"  
  
" Good guess. I suppose Toby told you about me?"  
  
" Yeah. I've heard plenty including the fact you're completely heartless."  
  
" Me. Heartless?" Max asked with a hearty laugh.  
  
" If you're not heartless then why don't you let us out?"  
  
" Because my boss says I can't."  
  
" Your boss? Can I talk to him?"  
  
" If you were even in the same room, I'd have to kill you."  
  
" Weren't you friends with the Mayer's when you were younger?"  
  
" Justin and I were in a gang together."  
  
" Justin was in a gang?"  
  
" You sound surprised."  
  
" What about Toby and Cody?"  
  
" Couldn't stand them then and can't stand them now."  
  
" If you won't help me, then help Toby. He's gotten worse over night, probably  
  
comatose. I can feel the chills running down his sweat bathed body."  
  
" Are you asking me to give him more sugar?"  
  
" Sugar won't help him now. He needs direct insulin. He needs to be in a hospital  
  
Max. Do this for Justin."  
  
" Justin's dead."  
  
" If you only knew."  
  
" You know what? I think you're delusional."  
  
" Me delusional?" asked Ian as Max crouched down beside him. From his view,  
  
he could see the tiny key hanging around Max's neck. It had to be the key to the cuffs.  
  
" I'm sorry."  
  
" Sorry for what?" Max asked.  
  
" Sorry for doing this!" Ian explained as he delivered a blow to Max, knocking  
  
him out. 


	16. Stay Awake

After nearly ten painful minutes, Ian successfully managed to get the key from  
  
around Max's neck. He undid the cuffs from his now numb hands then spun around  
  
quickly to Toby.  
  
" Toby, can you here me? Come on. You need to say something," he insisted,  
  
slapping his face harshly, trying to get him to respond.  
  
" I'm so cold," Toby stammered out.  
  
" You're probably suffering from hypoglycemia. You haven't had any insulin for  
  
well over a day now."  
  
" My heart."  
  
" I know. It's probably beating like crazy right now. You've got to stay calm."  
  
" Calm? I need. I. I think I'm going to get sick!" he rushed, unsure of what he was  
  
saying.  
  
" Let it all out," instructed Ian as Toby began heaving up dinner from two days  
  
ago. Eventually he just started vomiting water.  
  
" Look, Toby. I need you to do something for me, okay? I need you to stay  
  
awake. I know it's hard and you probably feel like shit, but you've got to stay awake.  
  
You can't sleep. I'll try to get you something to eat, but you've got to fight for me. I  
  
don't want you slipping into a coma on me. Okay?"  
  
" Mm," Toby mumbled as Ian scrambled for Max's still unconscious body. He  
  
had to have a cell phone on him. Reaching his hand into Max's pocket, he smiled. Score  
  
one for the genius! Pushing the power button, Ian immediately dialed his home number,  
  
hoping that Eve was there.  
  
'Ring, Ring, Ring.'  
Eve glanced down at the phone's caller ID box. 704-8917. It wasn't Ian calling.  
  
That wasn't his cell phone number. Disappointed she picked up the phone and answered.  
  
" Hello?"  
  
" Thank God you're there."  
  
" Ian? What the? Where? Where are you? Are you okay? How are you feeling?"  
  
" I went looking for Toby."  
  
" Is that why you left the hospital? To look for Toby Mayer?"  
  
" Yeah."  
  
" Look. Where are you? I'll come and get you."  
  
" You can't. Come get me that is."  
  
" Why not? You're in serious condition. You ingested a lot of poison yesterday."  
  
" I know. I'm fine," Ian lied, as a crippling pain shot through his stomach. He  
  
grimaced, completely forgetting about his own condition. He was so concerned about  
  
Toby he had blocked out his own pain until now.  
  
" Look Ian. Just tell me where you are so I can," Eve said, stopping abruptly as  
  
shouts filled the background.  
  
Ian's eyes grew round with fear as he saw Max stand up.  
  
" What the hell do you think you're doing? I can't believe this! You knocked me  
  
out and stole my phone."  
  
" Max, someone had to do something," he insisted.  
  
" Well Ian. I'm going to have to take your advice and do something," Max said as  
  
he struck Ian in the head with the butt of his gun. Picking up the phone he whispered,  
  
" I know you're his wife and I just thought I'd let you know that you're never  
  
going to see your husband alive again." The line went dead. 


	17. Remarkable

Rafe smiled as he awoke. This was the first time he had woken and been happy.  
  
He gently stroked Alison's hair until her eyes opened.  
  
" Hey there Angel."  
  
" Hey yourself. I missed doing this. Waking up beside you I mean."  
  
" You're not the only one," Rafe whispered as his stomach growled.  
  
" Are you hungry? I could go get us something."  
  
" Nah. I want to go down to the dining room. According to Sara, they've got get  
  
breakfast."  
  
" Sara?"  
  
" Another who has been struck by the four wheeled curse. You'll love her."  
  
" Are you going down in your lounge pants and t-shirt or do you want to change?"  
  
" I don't think it's much of a fancy joint. If you wouldn't mind, could you push  
  
my lovely chariot over to the bedside?"  
  
" You can get yourself in it? I thought you said that was impossible."  
  
" It is. And I'm not very good at it. It takes awhile," Rafe promised. Positioning  
  
himself somehow Rafe managed to 'throw' himself in on the first shot.  
  
" Wow!" he said with a grin so wide Alison thought his face would break.  
  
" Good job sweetie. Now what do you say we go get breakfast and I meet this  
  
Sarah?"  
  
" Sounds like a plan," Rafe said as he and Alison exited for the dining room.  
  
Mike Carson found himself staring in great disbelief as he saw Rafe Kovich pass  
  
with a beautiful blonde by his side. They were laughing and carrying on as if nothing has  
  
happened. He hadn't seen Rafe that happy ever since he had been injured. It was  
  
remarkable, his recovery. Almost too much so.  
  
Rafe spotted Sara sitting at a table with a heap of pancakes in front of her.  
  
" Hey Sara. What's going on?"  
  
" Not much. Just wolfing down a stack of 'cakes before spending the day  
  
wallowing in my self-pity!" she said in a sarcastic, witty tone.  
  
So is this the 'Alison'?"  
  
" Yes. Sara this is my wife Alison. Ali, Sara. Sara, Ali."  
  
" Hey Sara. Nice to meet you."  
  
" You too. So are you two going to join me in the pancakes? If you don't order  
  
soon, they'll be all gone."  
  
" Why don't you explain to me again exactly why you have wiped Rafe clean of  
  
all pain and inconveniences?" asked Sam as he and Ed had yet another 'discussion' over  
  
Sam's "Earth TV" complete with its traveling "Earth Camcorder: Capturing any moment,  
  
anywhere."  
  
" He's so happy Sam. My son is happy. Just weeks ago he was wanting to kill  
  
himself and now he's smiling, making jokes."  
  
" All because of your doing though Ed."  
  
" Look. Samuel. I'm doing my job. My son isn't dead."  
  
" True Edward. But you know the path you're sending him on is just going to be  
  
worse in the long run? You realize the day you leave your son is going to be feeling all  
  
the excruciating pain you blocked out. He's going to be even more depressed than he is  
  
now, which basically means your whole 'mission' would be a waste."  
  
" You know Sam? I really don't give a damn."  
  
" Do you know who you're talking to Ed Grant?"  
  
" Yes I do."  
  
" You know, I'm half tempted to pull you straight back up to where you came  
  
from now."  
  
" Please. Don't. My son needs me."  
  
" I'm not so sure Ed. You're costing him more than anything."  
  
" Look, Sam. I'll try. Please. You know I'm not one to beg, but you've got to let  
  
me stay." 


End file.
